


The Witcher and The Witch

by SuicideToro



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Celtic Mythology & Folklore, Fantasy, Herbology, M/M, Magic, Spellcasting, The Witcher AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 06:04:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12052863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuicideToro/pseuds/SuicideToro
Summary: All heads turn when a witcher comes into town.It was not an uncommon sight, a witcher. They travelled everywhere, coming and going as swiftly as a summer storm. Most folks have met one in passing, or at least heard of them. They were not difficult to identify.Two swords they carry on their backs, crossed in a deadly insignia.Steel for humans, and silver for monsters.-A LaviYuu/Yuuvi fic based off the Witcher universe.





	The Witcher and The Witch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello! This fanfic was inspired by the ever-lovely a-q-d, who gave me the idea. I'm a huge, HUGE fan of The Witcher video game series, and it thrills me to be able to write something based off the wonderful lore in Witcher. 
> 
> I did proper research and included a lot of in-game terms because I hope to give you a taste of what it feels like to be part of that universe. As such, you will find the explanations of the essential terms in the fic itself. I hope it is sufficient for you to understand even if you have never played the game. If a word or phrase has been marked with an asterix*, it means I have included additional information about it in the footnotes at the end of the fic. These terms are not important to the fic, they're just there to flavour it.
> 
> To gain maximum enjoyment of this fanfic, I encourage you to read up what a witcher is and what they do at [this link](http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Witcher). You could also listen to some of [the music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLSdl-CdOBo) from the video game, which would help you to be more immersed in the story. The songs Lazare and Witch Hunters are good for the battle scenes.
> 
> To ease your possible confusion, witchers are monster slayers, witches are people with magical spells and shit, and witch hunters hunt witches.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this!

All heads turn when a witcher comes into town.

It was not an uncommon sight, a witcher. They travelled everywhere, coming and going as swiftly as a summer storm. Most folks have met one in passing, or at least heard of them. They were not difficult to identify.

Two swords they carry on their backs, crossed in a deadly insignia.

_Steel for humans, and silver for monsters._

This one had both swords, their hilts glinting sharply in the sunlight. He wore light but sturdy-looking leather armour, and well-oiled boots that you didn’t need to look at twice to know that the soles had seen some distance. His hair was waist-long and tied back in a ponytail that fell straight like a waterfall of ink. His features were sculpted, beautiful and regal, and he had piercing blue eyes that the village folk averted their gazes from in respect and fear.

He went, as most witchers do, straight to the village notice board, without so much as a how-you-do to the locals around him. As he examined the notices, the villagers examined him. They whispered amongst themselves, and children were hushed into their houses by their mothers.

Young, this one, speculated the men. Handsome, giggled the womenfolk behind their hands.

The witcher took a notice or two off the board. None of these notices were advertisements of herbal remedies for headaches or marriage invitations to so-and-so’s wedding next Yarrowday. The ones he took were the sort posted by desperate people in need of a very specific sort of help. Help that only his kind could provide.

Despite being wary of him, the village folk were not unfriendly, found the witcher. He stepped into the local inn, and although eyes traced his every movement, the drinking and poker-playing continued, and no fights were evoked.

The innkeeper cocked his head curiously and smiled at the approaching stranger. “Wow, look who blew into my humble premises. I an’t seen a witcher since I saw the one they call Crown Clown in Vizima years ago. I’m Jeryy.”

The witcher inclined his head. “Redanian Lager*,” he ordered.

Jeryy clucked his tongue at him. “I hope tha’s not your name. It’s the name of a drink.”

The dark-haired man seemed to realize he was being impolite. “Kanda. I come from the Black Order,” he muttered. “Redanian Lager, please.”

The innkeeper beamed. “That’s much better.” He slid a full mug across the counter. “One Redanian Lager coming right up!”

Once he’d had a mouthful of Redania’s best, the witcher leaned against the counter. “Any folks have work for me here?” he asked.

Jeryy looked thoughtful as he busied his hands with mug-polishing. “You mean, do we have any monster problems,” he said knowingly, and Kanda nodded. “Hmm…. I heard that Suman is having some sort of problem. He’s been trying to keep it real quiet-like, but I’ve heard some words over the fence. His little girl has fallen ill, and he’s got it in his head that she’s been cursed.”

“Think there’s any truth to that?” Kanda asked. “Lots of folks get sick and blame it on wraiths, demons, vampires and every other supernatural creature they can utter the names of.”

“I don’t know,” Jeryy replied with a shrug. “It takes someone like you to find out, eh?”

Kanda drained his mug. “Where does Suman live?”

“A little ways west. You have to go up a little hill marked with a blue sign, you can’t miss it. Not goin’ ta knock back a few before leaving?”

Kanda shook his head and placed a few copper coins on the counter. “Thank you for your help,” he said quietly.

Jeryy beamed at him and pushed the money back towards him. “Anything for a friendly face, Kanda. They say your lot’s cursed, but I think you do the work nobody else can or want to do, and that’s God’s blessing. Take care now, and say ‘ello to Suman for me.”

 

* * *

 

The aforementioned sign pointed Kanda in the right direction as he came upon a small cluster of houses on the west hill. A few elderly men were sitting outside their houses, basking in the sun and smoking their pipes. A woman was busy hanging her laundry as her children played around her. When Kanda asked her which house was Suman’s, she was kind enough to point it out, but her body language showed that she was slightly afraid of talking to him. Kanda thanked her and took leave hastily.

Suman’s house was ordinary, small with a swing-set sitting on the front porch. Kanda walked up the path to knock on the front door, and it was answered by a dark-haired man in his late thirties.

“God’s bootleg,” cursed the man softly, eyes wide in surprise at sight of the stranger on his doorstep.

“Are you Suman?” asked Kanda, unperturbed by the man’s response to seeing him.

The man pressed a hand to his heart. “Yes,” he said slowly, “Yes, tha’s me. Forgive me, I just never expected t’ see a witcher at my front door.”

Kanda nodded and crossed his arms. “I heard that your daughter is ill.”

Suman’s brows furrowed and his lips were pressed into a thin, anxious line. He looked dejectedly at the ground. “Yes, she is. She fell sick just a few days ago, but it got bad so fast. I’ve tried everything to heal her, but the fever only worsens.”

He turned haunted eyes to Kanda. “It’s a curse, master witcher. I know it is,” he said firmly.

“What makes you think so?” asked Kanda suspiciously.

Suman looked left and right, then motioned to Kanda. “Follow me.”

Kanda followed the man as they walked to the back of the house, where some barrels and boxes were stacked neatly together. A large tree shaded the back portion of the small house. Suman walked behind the tree and pointed, and Kanda saw the problem.

The yellowed skull of a horse hung on a wooden pole that had been firmly stuck in the grass. A few small dishes of ash surrounded the misshapen structure. Kanda picked up one of the dishes to sniff at it.

“Crow’s eye, wolfsbane, bloodmoss,” the witcher muttered to himself.

He got up to examine the skull. Letters had been carved into it, forming a name. Kanda pointed to it. “Is that your child’s name?” he asked.

“Yes, yes, that’s m’ little girl’s name,” said Suman, face deathly pale in fear. “I-It is a curse, isn’t it?”

Kanda frowned. “It is not only a curse, but a powerful one. It will not stop until the girl is dead.”

“Lord!” shouted Suman in a panic. “Please no, not m’ girl! You must find a way to save her, please!”

Kanda regarded the other man carefully. “It is not impossible. However, once the spell has started, it must claim a victim in death before it can fade. The only way I can lift the curse from your daughter is if I use some magic to transfer it to another person, or find the person who cast the curse so they could revoke it.”

Suman gritted his teeth, expression suddenly tense with anger. “I know who did it. It must be that ploughin’ witch!”

This got Kanda’s attention. “There’s a witch around here?” he asked.

Suman nodded. “Lives in his cottage out in the woods, close to the mountains. He used t’ live here in the village, did some simple spells for us, cured a few goats and such. He seemed to have some disagreements with some men who came looking for him. I don’t know what happened, but he’s out there now.”

“Do you know what disagreements they were?”

“Don’t rightly know. Maybe the witch pissed some folks off. People here get their drawerstrings twisted over anything superstitious.”

Kanda put the dish of burnt incense down and looked at Suman in the eye. “Let’s talk about my payment,” he said.

Suman gaped at him in shock. “Payment!” he exclaimed. “Master witcher, I an’t got two silvers to rub t’gether after I paid for m’ girl’s medicines!”

“Then you know better than to ask for a witcher’s help,” Kanda said calmly, as if he has heard those words a hundred times. “We render a service, and we expect to be paid the coin due to us. You can borrow from your neighbours, or sell a few things. You will get the money.”

Suman’s face hardened for a moment then relaxed in resignation. “Yes. I will pay whatever you ask. Please, help me.”

They spent a few minutes discussing the payment. After they agreed on an amount, Suman gave Kanda detailed directions to the witch’s cottage in the woods. Kanda thanked him grimly and promised to return with news. It was almost sundown as Kanda checked his supplies bag. Making a mental note of what he needed, he left the village and headed down the path into the woods.

The forest was dense with tall ancient trees and thick moss scouring the massive rocks that peered through the dark soil. Many wild animals made their homes there. Kanda encountered a herd of whitetail deer that looked at him with beady black eyes before they sprinted away, led by a heavily antlered buck. Various birds made a ruckus in the trees before they took flight collectively, swallowed by the red skies as if in molten lava. Kanda stopped here and there to examine plants. Some of them he gathered into his pouch carefully, others he did not touch.

He was approaching the area he knew the witch’s house was in when he heard and smelled something simultaneously. He stood eerily still. His nostrils flared and his ears seemed to twitch.

He smelled a sharp tang of beggartick blossoms and nostrix in the air, about thirty feet away. These two herbs only grew in swamps and caves, and should not be present in the musky wooden smell of the deep forest. The herbal scent must have been clinging to someone who had just handled them, most likely in the process of making potions.

Kanda also heard music. A lilting sound of a pan flute being played quietly filled the air. It felt as if this part of the forest had fallen silent to listen to the music. Here the birds and animals were calmer. Even the breeze was gentle upon his skin.

On instinct, Kanda ducked and threaded softly through the foliage, careful not to snap any twigs underfoot. Even the leaves hardly rustled as he pushed through them towards the song of the pan flute.

The bright and energetic sound of a small running stream reached his ears long before he got there. The glade was quite small, but still managed to give off an airy feeling as it opened up to the star-speckled sky above the canopy of treetops.

Kneeling next to the stream was a man. He was slight of body and had hair the colour of fire which tumbled over the right side of his face. Wrapped in a coarse brown poncho, he sat down on the grass next to a basket and played his pan flute contently. As Kanda watched, a rabbit hopped right out of the bushes, sniffed the air curiously, and then jumped over to the curious man, where it settled itself into his lap as if they were old friends.

Kanda had met many witches, and personally knew a few of them. His oldest friend Lenalee was a mage who lived in the large city of Novigrad*. Whenever they crossed paths, she nagged him incessantly about taking care of himself, being more sociable, so on and so forth. Kanda honestly felt that Lenalee acted more like his mother than his best friend sometimes. She probably got that trait from her elder brother, who was the head mage in the Council of Sorcerers* and an overprotective bastard who doted on his sister obsessively.

Of all the witches Kanda had met, however, there hadn’t been one that had rabbits hop into their damn laps as if they were in a children’s fairy tale.

He shuffled a little closer to observe the redheaded witch, but one small wrong move, and a branch snapped under his heel.

The witch’s head whipped around, and Kanda barely had time to curse under his breath before the redhead leapt to his feet and disappeared into thin air.

Kanda moved instinctually into a fighting stance just before a blur of red flashed to his left. He ducked and rolled away from a sudden burst of flame at his feet, which set the leaves on the ground ablaze. Quickly, Kanda scrambled to his feet and withdrew one of his swords.

Silver sang sweetly as it was withdrawn from its sheath. Kanda brandished his silver sword Mugen with confidence as he reached into the pouch at his waist with his other hand. He deftly found what he was looking for, popped the cork off a small vial, and drained it dry.

His skin crawled unnaturally. Liquid fire seared its way through his veins, igniting him from the inside out. The potion worked its effect on him, causing his vision to double for a few moments as blue veins on his neck stood out and pulsed hideously. A flash of blue, and Kanda ducked again to avoid a bolt of lightning that came out of the shadows. It added to the fire that was steadily building momentum around him, engulfing branches and bushes in a rage.

Twilight had fallen now, blanketing the forest in moonlight blue, but the semi-darkness gave the witcher no problems. His eyes glowed yellow, the pupils slit like cats, giving him enhanced vision in the dark.

He held his sword at the ready and stepped warily in a circle, body tense and prepared for fight. The next attack came in the form of small rocks rising from the ground and shooting straight at him. Kanda held up two fingers, and a yellow magical symbol glowed in front of them for a brief moment. _Quen._ When the rocks struck him, they bounced harmlessly off a magical protective barrier that shattered upon contact. 

Kanda quickly used another magic sign, _Aard_ , and a telekinetic gust of wind blew outwards in front of him, rustling branches and extinguishing most of the fire around him. At the corner of his eye, he saw the moonlight catching on a black silhouette staggering backwards in a moment of visibility. Spinning quickly, he swung his sword in that direction, and almost managed to harm the invisible witch who quickly melted back into the shadows of the trees.

They danced in furious battle around each other as spells were flung and magic charged the air with electric tension. Kanda dodged a spear of ice and thrust his sword forward, but was forced to twist sideways to avoid a ball of flame aimed at his chest. He quickly stepped backwards as green corrosive acid landed hissing on the ground in front of him, some of it splattering onto his armour and burning small holes into it.

Kanda made a purple sign, _Yrden_ , that casted a magical pentagram on the ground. When the witch stepped into the circle trap, his body froze and glowed purple, revealing his position to Kanda. With a powerful swing, Kanda sliced through some part of the witch, and a small cry of pain rented the air as the silver burnt through the witch’s skin, accompanied by the faint smell of burning flesh.

 The witch became fully visible as he stumbled away, clutching his bleeding shoulder. He hissed and growled ferociously and scurried into the bushes. Kanda gave chase, relying on his keen sense of smell as he followed the scent of blood.

They reached a small dark cottage in the middle of the forest, looking like it had grown straight from the earth itself. The witch lurched forward and landed on the soil, panting hard. Kanda loomed over the fallen man threateningly.

“You’re the witch who lived in the village, aren’t you?” asked Kanda.

The witch coughed and glared up at Kanda with gritted teeth. “Don’t you dare come one step closer, fucking witch hunter,” he growled through his pain, a blue ball of electricity gathering in his hand.

“I’m not a witch hunter,” Kanda said with a frown.

“Then what are you, a fucking dwarven woodcutter? You expect me to believe that, with your potions and silver sword and bloody magical signs?” asked the witch fiercely.

“You can believe whatever you want. I’m here to ask you about one of the villagers, Suman’s daughter. You were the one who cast the Nithing curse* which is killing her.”

“ _Suman._ ” The witch spat the name out like it left a bad taste in his mouth. “That bastard ought to go to hell, and take his damn kin with him!”

Kanda stomped hard on the witch’s injured shoulder, causing the man to howl in agony.

“You’re despicable,” growled Kanda. “You would maim an innocent child because you have some vengeance with her father. You’re nothing but a monster.”

 The witch stiffened, and outrage overtook his expression. He looked as if he was about to say more, but his eyes rolled back and he fell unconscious.

Kanda squatted down and looked at the witch. He was not done with him quite yet.

 

* * *

 

The witch groaned as he was awoken by a sharp burning pain in his shoulder. Every part of him was sore and hurting. When he managed to struggle into a sitting position, he noticed that his chest was bare and a large expanse of his shoulder was covered in white bandages that had recently been changed.

Confused, he looked around him. He was in his own cottage in the woods. He was also, against his expectations, not dead. Small wonders.

The door to his home opened and a long-haired man came in with a basket of herbs. He was almost unbelievably handsome, but that wasn’t the most attractive part of him. He had an aura of power around him that any magical creature could sense from a few miles away. It was hard not be slightly drawn to him.

The witch sprang backwards in his bed and yelled when his hurt shoulder hit the wall next to him. He tried his best to conjure up something to defend himself, but he was too drained to summon up more than a small slicker of flame in his palm. He scrambled against his sheets until he was pressed up against a corner.

“What the hell are you doing in my house?” he hissed, baring his teeth.

Kanda glanced sceptically at him. “Making some salve to apply to your wound,” he replied as-matter-of-factly as he picked up a stone peddle and pounded some herbs into a paste. “My blade was silver. It would have been fatal if I hadn’t tended to it. You’re fucking welcome.”

The redhead gaped at him. “Why did you save me if you were going to kill me? What the fuck is your motive?” he asked in a guarded tone.

“I saved you because I need you to lift the curse. You are the only one who can.” Kanda looked pointedly at the witch. “And you will.”

The redhead sneered. “I don’t know what curse you’re talking about, bloody witch hunter.”

The witcher made an annoyed noise that sounded like ‘tch’ and threw the other man a cross look. “I told you, I am not a witch hunter. I’m a witcher. I’m sure you know the difference.”

“Witcher?” The witch’s feral expression dropped, replaced by a genuinely surprised one. “As in, the legendary monster hunters? Like Allen Walker?”

Kanda blinked in his own surprise. “You know Moyashi?”

The redhead nodded enthusiastically. “Met him about three years ago when I went to Oxenfurt. He was beating up a bruxa* there. Colour _me_ impressed. We shared a drink and parted ways. How is he now?”

The witcher shrugged. “Being an idiot somewhere in Skellige*, I think,” he said, reeling from the fact that a village witch somehow had business to tend to in a hoity-toity place like Oxenfurt*, home to the Council of Sorcerers and some of the most powerful witches of all the lands.

The redheaded witch’s face lit up with a fond grin, making him look very young. “Good to know he hasn’t bitten the dust then.” His smile faded after a moment. “Wait, witchers don’t really hunt witches. You guys are all big on wraiths and werewolves and other uglies. I don’t know why you’re after me.”

“We hunt whatever hurts humans,” corrected Kanda. “And we get paid to do it. Suman paid me to lift the curse from his daughter.”

The witch stared at Kanda. “Hold on, I didn’t cast a curse on anyone,” he blubbered in horror.

Kanda frowned in disbelief. “You didn’t cast a Nithing curse on the child? I found the horse skull behind his house, with her name carved on it, and burnt incense of herbs. The same kind you have in this house.”

The redhead shook his head vigorously. “God, no. I hate Suman to the bone marrow for my own reasons, but I wouldn’t cast a spell to kill an innocent child, for crying out loud. I’ve known Suman’s daughter since birth, and she’s a sweet girl. Why on earth would I do that to her, if I could just curse Suman himself?”

Kanda shrugged. “People do petty things. In retrospect, monsters are more straightforward. If they want you dead, they go straight for you, not your family and friends.”

“Huh. Imagine that. A witcher, saying he prefers monsters to humans.” The witch snorted in mirth.

“Sometimes humans are the real monsters,” said Kanda calmly. “Now lie down while I apply this salve.”

The witch froze. A blush crept up his neck and to his cheeks, causing freckles to spread lightly over his face and shoulders. “I-I can do that myself, witcher,” he mumbled in embarrassment.

“I would rather you lie down and recuperate your energy. I will need you up in a few hours. Even if you’re not the one who cast the spell, the one who did is probably not far. We need to figure out who has access to herbs like crow’s eye and bloodmoss and the knowledge on how to use them.” Kanda sat on the side of the bed with a bowl. “Take the bandages off,” he ordered.

The witch blushed harder as he lifted his arm and started to awkwardly remove his bandages. The angle caused him to wince every few moments, and his complexion paled.

With a sigh of exasperation, Kanda stopped him and proceeded to unwind the bandages. The witch lay down and tried not to look conspicuously at Kanda.

“Erm. Do you have a name, o mighty witcher?” he asked in a nervous tone.

“Kanda,” said the witcher without stopping his work.

“Kanda,” repeated the redhead, as if tasting the name on his tongue. He looked at Kanda, and the witcher noticed that while one eye was as green as uncut emerald, the other remained closed, rendered useless by an ugly scar running vertically over the eyelid.

“I’m Lavi. And um…” Lavi looked at the wall beside him. “Thank you for not killing me.”

Kanda nodded in silent affirmation. The two of them focused on healing Lavi’s shoulder, and the silence between them, surprisingly, was quite comfortable.

 

* * *

 

Later in the afternoon, Lavi had healed enough to get out of bed. He sat at his simple wooden table and watched Kanda cook up a simple meal of brown rice and vegetables on his stove. It was a surreal feeling, to be attacked by someone in the dead of night and then have them cook for you in your own house the next day. Lavi’s eye roamed on Kanda’s back, from his muscular thighs to his narrow waist and then to the crossed swords on his back, which he unsurprisingly had not taken off. When Kanda turned around, Lavi’s eye dropped to the spell tome that lay open on the table in front of him.

“What does your book say about the curse?” Kanda asked, putting two bowls of steaming food down and sitting across from Lavi.

“Oh? I thought you were an expert on curses, my good witcher,” teased Lavi with a small smile.

Kanda made that noise, tch!, again and spooned some food into his mouth. “I am. I’m just confirming what I already know.”

Lavi rolled his eye and laughed. He went back to reading his book. “Well, it says here that the Nithing curse is cast by carving the victim’s name onto a horse’s skull, placing it near the house of the victim, and burning three herbs around it: wolfsbane, crow’s eye, and bloodmoss. Once the curse is started, it doesn’t stop until the victim has died. The only ways to remove it are the spell caster repeating the incantation, or transferring it to another person by carving a second name onto the skull.”

Kanda observed the diagram of a horse skull hanging upon a pole on the page. “Can anyone other than the original spell caster transfer the curse?” he asked.

“Yes. Anyone with enough magic power can do it by infusing magic into the carving of the second name.” Lavi peered up at Kanda. “You’re not thinking of transferring it to someone else, are you?” he asked in a slightly horrified tone.

“If I don’t find a way to get the spell caster to lift it, I might have to.”

Kanda looked slyly at Lavi, his sapphire eyes going dark with cunning. “I could carve _your_ name into it if I wanted to,” he said in a low voice.

Lavi’s heart pounded faster in his chest and he had to look away. Holy graces. Whatever witchers were made of, it was not good for his health.

“You’re assuming Lavi is my real name, witcher,” he said with a small smile.

Kanda snorted. “Yeah right, just like you assume Kanda is mine.”

Lavi grinned at him. “I don’t, Yuu.”

In an instant, Kanda was on his feet, eyes wide with shock. His hand went to Mugen’s hilt. Lavi jumped up as well, his hands flailing.

“Shit! Sorry, I forgot that--” Lavi covered his closed eye with his palm and looked down sheepishly. “I forgot that not every witch can See. I’m really sorry, I just… Sorry.”

A few tense moments ticked by before they relaxed enough to sit back down.

“I’m… sorry that I reacted that way,” Kanda said hesitantly, looking down at his own gloved hands. “I haven’t used that name in years. I didn’t expect to hear it from someone I don’t know very well.”

“It’s fine,” said Lavi quickly, “In fact, I should be the one apologizing. I should have told you about my Sight.”

Lavi pointed to his ruined eye. “It looks like I can’t see through this eye, but I can. I see the true names of people and things. Like, I can see the true name of trees.” He tapped the wooden table. “I could call the name of this table, and if it was a living thing, it would respond to its name.”

Kanda thought back to the rabbit that had hopped into Lavi’s lap near the stream. “Is that how you call animals to you?”

Lavi scrunched his face thoughtfully. “I don’t consciously call them to me, but I think sometimes I unconsciously weave their names into the songs I play, so they come.”

Kanda regarded the witch closely. The more he got to know Lavi, the more he wondered if Lavi wasn’t just a simple nature witch. These witches typically lived in forests and were more interested in herbology than in the more malicious aspects of witchcraft. They were basically harmless, and to make a living, they made simple concoctions for village folk. He had looked around Lavi’s house while the witch was unconscious, and had found no pentagrams, voodoo dolls or any magical objects that were used for black magic. Other than Suman’s words and the herbs, there was no evidence pointing to Lavi as the spell caster.

However, being the only person with magic in the fifty mile radius, Kanda could not easily strike Lavi off the list of suspects. He would just have to keep an eye out.

Kanda cleared his thoughts. “Is there a reason why you hate Suman so much?” he asked Lavi.

The witch’s expression darkened like a storm was passing it. Outside, the wind picked up and branches scratched ominously at the planks of the little house. The forest was suddenly darker as gray clouds overshadowed the forest.

“Do not mention that bastard’s name in front of me again,” snarled Lavi, suddenly sounding distant and hostile. “I would like to etch _his_ name onto that skull. I don’t know what he has done to piss someone else enough for them to curse his little girl, but I’m certain that she’s paying for her father’s sins.”

Lavi stood up. “I have a headache, so I’m going to rest now. Help yourself to whatever you need,” he announced solemnly, and walked towards the bed.

The witcher looked out the window. Lavi was gone, but the dark clouds remained.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Lavi’s mood improved, and the both of them went outside into the sun to look at his herbs. The witch’s garden was well kept. Pots of planted herbs and flowers were arranged in neat rows lining the front of the house. The air was sweet-smelling from the honeysuckle that grew all over the outside of the walls. Lavi knelt down and spoke softly to his plants. As Kanda watched, one of the flower buds blossomed into a large purple flower and climbed upwards in a matter of seconds.

Lavi turned and smiled shyly at Kanda over his shoulder. The sunlight filtered through the trees from above and highlighted Lavi’s hair in shifting shades of gold and crimson, making it look impossibly soft. Kanda had never seen hair like that. He wondered how it would feel like to run his fingers through that fire, and if they would come out unburnt.

Lavi hopped, much like a rabbit, over to where Kanda knelt. “Like my garden, Yuu?” he asked proudly.

Kanda couldn’t help but nod and clear his throat in embarrassment. “You have… a lot of herbs,” he said a little uneasily, thrown off by the way he was feeling. Then he added, “And don’t call me Yuu, stupid Rabbit.”

Lavi blinked and looked away quickly. “Rabbit, huh. Cute. Uhm.” He scratched the back of his head self-consciously. “Anyway, that’s all my herbs. As you can see, I do indeed have a supply of herbs you don’t normally get in forests, but I don’t plant them. They can only grow in their natural habitat, in particular bloodmoss. I would do much to get more of that in my supply, but the nearest swamp or cave area is pretty far north of here. The spell caster most likely got it from there.”

Kanda grunted and stood. “Still, you’re the only one within fifty miles of the village who has any knowledge about herbs. You understand why I suspected you. And someone mentioned that you might be the culprit.”

Lavi snorted. “Yes, he would, wouldn’t he?” he muttered angrily. He looked up at Kanda. “Look, I’m going to help you find the arse who did it, or we’re going to think of someone who’s damned enough to take the brunt of the curse. Either way, I do not want the girl to die. Are we good with that deal?”

Kanda nodded. “Maybe we can start by asking around at the village. Someone might be able to give us a clue.”

Lavi agreed, and they headed towards the village an hour later. The weather was perfect, and Kanda could not tell if it was coincidental or directly affected by Lavi’s sunny mood as he bounced ahead happily, humming a tune under his breath.

“So, Yuu,” Lavi said, turning around. “Are all witchers really sterile?”

Kanda chocked on his own spit and coughed. “Seriously? Of all the questions you could ask, that’s the first one you want me to answer?”

Lavi laughed innocently. “Yeah. I think Allen told me so, but I wasn’t sure I could believe him. Call it instinct, but I get the feeling that boy lies a lot more than he lets on. That’s how he can charm the pants off anyone and get away with it.”

Kanda rolled his eyes. “That idiot would tell a lie if the truth looked better. However, he’s right about that fact. We are incapable of having children.”

Lavi stopped in his tracks and looked at Kanda. “Doesn’t that make you kind of lonely?” he asked softly, something unreadable misting his eye. “Not being able to have a proper family.”

Kanda noticed that the song of the birds quieted down a little, and realized that Lavi’s emotions directly affected the nature around him without him consciously doing it. He was certain by now that Lavi was a nature witch.

“It isn’t,” the witcher replied casually. “I find that being alone suits me well enough.”

Lavi pouted and scuffled his foot against the grass. “I don’t like it. I wish I had someone with me out here. There are some nights where I just want to…” A shaky breath was exhaled. He shook his head sadly. “Sorry… My grandfather lived with me, in the village. He died a few weeks ago. I still miss him. Badly.”

A light drizzle began to fall, dotting the men’s clothes with dark specks. Kanda cursed softly and pulled on Lavi’s hand. He dragged the witch over to a thick hedge of overgrown bushes and they knelt at the space underneath, seeking shelter.

Lavi’s eye was intent on the dark sky. It was a little red around the rim. “Sorry,” he said thickly, sniffling a bit.

Kanda said nothing. He just knelt there, side pressed against Lavi’s, warm through their slightly wet clothes.

After a while, the rain subsided, and the sun came out again, albeit rather weakly. Lavi scrubbed his hand over his freckled nose and smiled wobbly at Kanda. They both stood and went on the path in silence for some time before Lavi turned to him again.

“Right, so my second question is, have you ever been seduced by a succubus*? What did she do?” he asked with a cheeky smile.

Kanda sighed. “Succubi are more complicated than you think they are. There was this one I met on a mountain once…*”

They arrived at the village in its mid-morning bluster. The rain had driven some folk to their homes, but they were coming back out and getting along with their daily chores. If they had seemed slightly disturbed at the sight of Kanda, Lavi’s presence seemed to unease them even more. Most of the folk just tried not to stare, but some went out of their ways to avoid the men’s paths as they entered the village.

There were, however, a few who came up to them to speak to Lavi. It seemed that before he left the village, he had been decently liked. A few children came and tugged at his shirt, and Lavi pulled a few flowers from behind their ears, sending them away squealing in delight. An elderly woman spoke softly to him and pressed an apple into his hands. Lavi began to chat with her as Kanda wandered away to talk to some of the other village folk.

From his questioning, Kanda gathered that Suman was a simple man who didn’t have any established enemies. He lived with his family, did his part as a member of the community, neither borrowed nor lent much money to others, and was generally unremarkable. The only incidents related to him as of late were his daughter’s illness and some brief meetings he had with some strange men in the inn a few weeks ago.

Kanda stepped into the inn to talk to Jeryy. The innkeeper was pleased to see the witcher again, but could not provide much information on the men Suman had met, other than the fact that they looked like uniformed mercenaries of some sort, and were all armed. Kanda thanked him and left.

The sky was darkening with more clouds as Kanda stepped out of the inn. He looked around for Lavi, but the witch was nowhere to be found. However, Kanda could smell the herbal scent that trailed from Lavi’s tracks. It led him to the sign he had passed before, and then up the hill where Suman resided.

Thunder was rolling ominously overhead when he found Lavi and Suman in front of Suman’s house, speaking in very loud tones. The neighbours had fled back into their houses, frightened by the wrath of the witch. Lavi’s posture was a tense spring ready to uncoil, and his hands clenched and unclenched as they sizzled with bright blue electricity. His expression was that of the night Kanda had fought him, drawn tight with animalistic fury.

“Master witcher!” shouted Suman, running towards Kanda. He cowered behind the witcher for safety. “Help me! This heathen is going t’ kill me!”

Lavi looked squarely at Kanda. “Get out of my way, Yuu,” he said, his voice loaded with tension. “I’m going to tear that traitor limb for limb.”

“I have done nothing t’ you! Why are you doing this t’ me and m’ daughter?!” cried Suman helplessly.

“Nothing!” snarled Lavi, taking a step forward. “Nothing, you say! You know exactly what you did, Suman! You told them about me, and they came after me and my Grandpa!”

“I swear it wasn’t me!” Suman looked back and forth between Kanda and Lavi fearfully. “You have no proof that it was me, you vile monster! I know nothing about this!”

“I can see the truth!” screamed Lavi, the rising of his voice causing a loud clap of thunder to boom over their heads.

Suman whimpered and ducked once more behind Kanda. “Master witcher, I have no idea what he is talking about! Leave me and m’ family out of this!”

“Enough!” yelled Lavi.

The witch looked determinedly at Kanda. “I’m saying this for the last time, Yuu. _Move_.”

Kanda held out one hand, his body tensing defensively. “Lavi,” he said cautiously. “Tell me what he did.”

Lavi’s eye gleamed dangerously. “For a bit of coin, he sold out me out to some witch hunters who were passing by. He told them where I lived and when my Grandpa would be alone when I was out picking herbs.”

“Gramps didn’t stand a fucking chance.” The redhead’s voice started to tremble with emotion. “I came home and there was blood everywhere, and those bastards were taking him hostage. I couldn’t fight them, not when they had him dying right in their grasp. They managed to wound me, and I had to run or die.”

Lavi fell to his knees, shaking like a leaf. “I didn’t want to, but Gramps told me to run. I teleported away, but not before I heard them… they killed…”

The witch broke down into desperate sobs, and a storm began, large raindrops beating down on them and soaking through Kanda’s coat in seconds.

“Lavi,” shouted Kanda through the howling wind, reaching out to touch the witch’s shoulder. Lavi slapped his hand away and looked at him. His face fell when he realized what Kanda was going to say.

“You’re not going to let me kill him,” Lavi muttered, looking crushed with betrayal. Tears mixed with rainwater poured down his freckled cheeks. Kanda’s chest tightened at that hapless expression on his face.

He called the witch’s name again, but Lavi scrambled back and stood up. His head was down, making his wet red hair curtain his face.

“In the end, you think I’m the monster too, don’t you?” Lavi asked through gritted teeth.

“Lavi!”

In a flash of lightning, Lavi was gone.

Suman grabbed Kanda’s coat, but the witcher shoved him to the ground.

“Did you do it?” Kanda yanked at the collar of Suman’s shirt with a thunderous expression. “Did you give the witch hunters the information?”

“N-No, I--”

Kanda drew a triangular symbol in the air. Under the influence of the _Axii_ sign, which forced the victim under a brief spell of mind control, Suman’s eyes went unfocused.

“Tell me the truth,” demanded Kanda.

Suman spoke, slowly and dazedly. “Three witch hunters came into the inn one day. They told me that they wanted to capture the witch alive and bring him to the King. I told them where his house was, and when he would be out in the forest every day. I did it to support my family. M’ daughter was already sick, I needed to buy her medicine, and--”

Kanda punched him across the nose, breaking it and causing the older man to scream. He threw Suman down and ran down the hill towards the forest.

As he flew past the trees, the rain pelted him mercilessly and the storm raged on, growing into a massive hell-affair. Old trees groaned horribly as they bent to the gale, and sharp branches clawed at Kanda’s skin as he ran past them. The wind howled through the forest like a great beast in pain. It was dark, so dark that even with Kanda’s eyes, it was hard to see, and he had to rely on smell and occasional bright flashes of lightning that lit up the woods in a ghostly white.

The sight of Lavi’s house loomed ahead, but Kanda’s heart leapt into his throat.

Even in the pelting rain, the house was consumed by flames that hissed and danced as they lit the surrounding area with hellish light.

Three figures stood in front the garden where Lavi’s prized herbs once used to be, their silhouettes casting long shadows over the dark earth.

At their feet lay a body, still and unmoving.

With a roar, Kanda drew Alma, his steel sword, and charged straight at the nearest figure. The other man managed to deflect the blow, and Kanda retreated a few steps as the three rounded on him.

“Lavi!” he called out in a panicked voice. To his relief, the body on the ground moved and groaned.

Kanda turned his attention to the three attackers. They wore the armour of the Crows, witch hunters who worked for Leverrier, the ruler of Novigrad whom everyone despised but could not defy. His latest ordinance had been to remove “wild” witches who practiced magic unsafely in the rural parts of Novigrad and its neighbouring country, Velen. Since then, these witch hunters have been on the prowl around the countryside, looking for fresh bounties. Kanda hated them, but managed to tolerate them passingly up until now.

The one who had deflected his attack grinned at him. “If it isn’t the gracious witcher,” he said scornfully. “Begone. We will take this one in ourselves. You have no business here.”

Kanda took a step forward boldly. “You’re the ones who cast the Nithing curse. Of course you would have extensive knowledge of spells and potions. You know well how to fight and inflict injury on even the toughest witches. You needed a way to find him, so you used the curse as bait. You knew Suman would seek the help of someone with the ability to find the witch’s hidden house.”

A second Crow laughed in a grating way. “You led us right to him. We have you to thank for that. You are doing a great service to the King.”

Kanda’s grip was so tight on Alma’s hilt that his knuckles were white. “If your King would have you kill innocent humans and creatures, then I have nothing but hatred for him. You will pay for what you did.”

All four of them launched into a fierce skirmish that had steel clashing and magical spells flying in every direction. Despite the fact that Kanda was superior in combat, the Crows were not inexperienced in close quarter combat and had their own unique Seals which was able to catch the witcher off-guard several times. Kanda casted the _Agni_ sign, hoping to set their clothes on fire, but the pouring rain made it difficult to make the flames last. A few times, Kanda casted a protective _Quen_ barrier over himself just in time to avoid being hit by a blast of magic and Seals.

In the midst of battle, Kanda tossed a small object in the Crows’ direction. The Samum bomb exploded in mid-air, emitting a bright light that blinded them both. The Crows cried out and shielded their eyes from the terrible light.

One of them tried to back away and stumbled, falling on the ground. When he opened his eyes, the last thing he saw was a flash of Kanda’s face before the steel blade slid home and he closed his eyes for the final time.

One of the remaining Crows leaned down and grabbed Lavi, who was still lying on the ground. The witch moaned in agony. The Crow began to mutter an incantation, and he, the other Crow and Lavi began to look more translucent by the moment.

Kanda’s heart raced. A second too late, and they would teleport away. The Crows would slay Lavi, behead him, and bring it like a trophy to the vile King for a monetary reward.

Thinking quickly, Kanda reached to his side and threw a Dimeritium silver bomb. The bomb would not be able to affect the Crows’ magical Seals, but it could stop them from using a basic teleportation spell.

Surely enough, the teleportation spell failed. The Crows glowered at Kanda in frustration and charged straight into another battle with the witcher.

They fought well and managed to wound each other a few times. Kanda received a gash in his calf that was bone-deep, and a burn on his arm where the Crow had managed to touch him with a burning Seal.

His sword was locked with one of the Crow’s, when the other emerged from the ground behind him and jammed his short jagged blade into Kanda’s ribs. The witcher shouted in pain.

Suddenly, there was a deafening boom. A clear bolt of forked lightning descended from the skies and struck, knocking Kanda off his feet. His ears rang, and he was blinded. Rain poured down his body, plastering his clothes and hair to his skin. Disoriented, he staggered to his feet and tried to regain his senses.

When he did, he found the blackened body of the Crow who had stabbed him. The lightning had charred him to the point of being near unrecognizable.  

Next to the corpse was the other Crow, who was lying on his back in an overwhelmed daze. Upon seeing the witcher’s approach, he clambered backwards in fear. 

“You’re such a freak of nature!” he growled at Kanda. “You were once human, weren’t you? Yet you raise your steel sword and fight us to save this unnatural creature! Whose side are you on? Ours, or the monsters’?!”

Kanda glared down at him, the planes of his face and body highlighted by bursts of forked lightning. He looked like a benevolent God of war, vicious, beautiful, untouchable.

“You’re wrong,” the witcher said coldly, raising his steel sword in the air.

_Both swords are for monsters._

Alma streaked through the air, and the Crow’s head rolled into the underbrush.

Wavering on his feet, Kanda clutched his bleeding side as he stumbled over to Lavi’s prone body.

A few feet away, his wounds overwhelmed him, and Kanda crashed to the ground.

The world faded away into darkness.

 

* * *

 

It was warm and sunny.

Kanda woke up to someone calling his name.

_Yuu, wake up, you sleepyhead._

He did, and squinted his eyes against the sunlight coming down on him.

A face hovered above him, smiling tenderly.

“Lavi.”

The witch hummed and stroked his fingers in Kanda’s long, loose hair. They were surrounded by ancient trees that shushed them gently in the wind. A few birds and squirrels sat on Lavi’s shoulders and preened themselves. The sun lent Lavi a soft glow, and he looked absolutely ethereal.

Kanda closed his eyes. It felt good. Too good.

Too good for fates like his.

The witcher reached out and held Lavi’s hand, letting the long, pale fingers entwine his.

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” he whispered.

Lavi blinked slowly and smoothed Kanda’s fringe away from his forehead with a small smile.

Gentle white light flooded Kanda’s vision and coaxed him back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

When he awoke again, Kanda was alone.

He looked around him. He was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room. When he sat up, stitches tugged at his side and made him wince.

The door to the room opened, and an unexpected person stepped in.

Suman, sporting a swollen and bruised nose, put a tray of food down on a table. “Master witcher, you’re awake,” he said in apparent relief.

“Suman?” Kanda cradled his slightly aching head. “Where am I?”

“This is m’ house. I found you and the witch in the forest two days ago, in front of his burnt-down house. A few men and I brought you here.” Suman looked down in shame. “I wanted to atone for m’ sins. I have gone too far. I should never have done that t’ the witch and his grandfather. They had been nothing but good t’ the people of this village. It was all m’ fault.” He looked at Kanda firmly. “Please, come with me.”

After Kanda had dressed, they both headed to the back of the house. Suman pointed to Nithing curse still hanging there, and explained what he wanted. Kanda listened, and at the end of it, he pulled out a small knife and knelt to the skull.

“Are you sure?” Kanda asked the village man.

“I am,” replied Suman grimly. “I shall not burden anyone else with m’ wrongdoings. If someone has to be cursed, let it be me. If it will save m’ daughter, then I am willing.”

 Kanda nodded with finality, and proceeded to carve Suman’s name on the skull. Within days, the man would fall ill and die, whereas his daughter would be purged of the curse and recover fully. The witcher was in no place to judge, but he thought that if there was one thing that could redeem Suman in the eyes of his God, it would be this last act of self-sacrifice.

After it was done, Kanda walked back into the house and gathered his armour and weapons from Suman. The village man walked him to the front door, paid him the money for his troubles, and thanked him.

“You did not ask about Lavi,” Suman said curiously.

Kanda looked past the top of the hill and across the horizon.

“I don’t have to,” he replied simply.

Kanda hiked down the hill and made his way towards the forest, following the faint fragrance of herbs. When he reached the edges of the trees, he could hear the sweet music of the pan flute from miles away.

A genuine smile tugged on the witcher’s lips as he went forward on his next witch hunt.

**Author's Note:**

> ** Glossary **
> 
> **Redanian Lager** = Excellent beer brewed in Redania.  
>  **Novigrad** = A free city in Redania. It's generally divided into areas for the rich and the poor, with the rich folks living closer to the centre of the city. It's inhabited by humans. Lots of elves and dwarves live in villages on the outside skirts of the city.  
>  **Council of Sorcerers** = Also known as the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. An organization of mages.  
>  **Nithing curse** = Originated from actual Germanic pagan tradition. The word nithing apparently is related to hate, malice or envy. In the Witcher game, a man's son was cursed by a herbalist whom he had an affair with and then jilted.  
>  **Bruxa** = A powerful vampire that takes the form of a beautiful woman. If you search for the Witcher 3 cinematic trailer on Youtube, the redhead is a bruxa.  
>  **Skellige Islands** = An archipelago of six islands full of Vikings.   
> **Oxenfurt** = Smart shits live and study in the Academy here.  
>  **Succubus** = A beautiful female demon that seduces human males. They're not sleazy though. In the game, the witcher Geralt meets one who lived in a mountain cavern, but she rejects coupling with him because he's a monster slayer and 'smelled like the blood of her brethren'. I swear she's more virtuous than all the other human women who just want to jump on the witcher's D.
> 
> I enjoyed making Suman Dark part of this fic, to be honest. His role in this fic is similar to the one he had in the actual DGM series, in which he betrays people to save his sick daughter, but dies for it in the end. However, I hoped to give him a way to atone for his betrayal. RIP Suman.
> 
> I made Kanda the witcher a bit more polite than his normal self, but I hope I presented him as a man with a very firm set of principles. Lavi the witch is a sunshine boy, but he's got a bottom line too. They seem like a good match. 
> 
> Altogether, this fic makes me want to make a series of adventures for them. I actually might write more of them. Thanks so much for reading, and as always, I love all your comments and kudos! :D


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